The Wire's David Simon recalls telling Idris Elba he was going to be a big star

The Hollywood Reporter

Simon and Elba went on an emotional walk shortly after the actor learned that his Wire character, Stringer Bell, was being killed off on the HBO series. "I remember saying to him, 'Idris, you may not know it yet, but you're a leading man, and you're about to have an incredible career,'" recalls Simon. "You say goodbye to a lot of good actors and think, 'Man, that guy's a great actor, I hope he finds work.' But with Idris, it was different. You just knew."